Ships
Tom's Ships It was just a normal day for the people living and visiting . Under the shadows of the titanic Yarukiman Mangrove, pirates and mercenaries wandered without worry and enjoyed their liberty in the lawless portion of the said island. Filled with a great variety of shops and houses, there was one in particular, a cubic house near the docks with a handmade sign written with red ink "Tom's Ships" on the front, that had made its name through the past 5 years. Creating and delivering a great variety of ships, with no prejudice of class or social position, the place was lead by a single man, Tibert Tom, a young lad pursuing his dream to become the greatest shipwright in history. Although it was far fom reality, he was ambitious, and his shop was open 24/7. Except for today. Tom had a request from someone coming from afar. To make negotiations easier, he just headed to the nearest bar from his house. For him, it wasn't something new; all his negotiations usually took place somewhere that wasn't his house to keep his other orders in secret and safe from harm as he had some difficulty to trust others from the go. With a reservation of a table for two in a particular corner of the bar, the tall man with dark hair, wearing his usual uniform, waited quietly with a mug of beer for his client arrival. Sabaody was...overwhelming for newcomers, to say the least. They got sidetracked, they got duped and tricked out of money because the lure of useless souvenirs was just too strong. Hiroshima would love to say that he was strong enough to fight it. That his samurai training made him resistant to the call of the tourist attractions...but he would be lying. He had gotten to the island a day earlier than he had planned, so he wanted to take a look around. Everything after him stepping foot on the island was a blur, but now he was rushing towards the designated meeting place for him and the shipwright, hoping that the other would still be there. He was an hour late after all. Hiro burst into the bar, looking around a bit frantically. A bartender saw him and pointed out the lone male in a corner to him. Hiro looked him over and felt he met the description of the shipwright he was set to meet. The swordsman made his way over quickly, dumping the trinkets and souvenirs in his arms unceremoniously in a nearby free seat and taking his own. He pulled a pair of comical shades off his eyes and gave the other an apologetic smile "Are you...uh Tom, right? I'm Hiroshima. You can call me Hiro." He held out his hand to shake and continued talking energetically "I'm sorry for being so late. Sabaody is just....so much fun! I spent all day out yesterday but there was still so much to do so I went back out today and I got so much stuff but I lost track of time and sort of forgot we were meant to meet and now I'm babbling aren't I? Oh boy. Sorry." "Oh, calm down buddy, it's all fine." Tom seemed to pay not mind to the lateness of his client, but inside he felt the urge to behead the guy that had just sat in the chair in front of him with the wrench that ke kept in one of his pockets. How he would do that with such a sharpless tool didn't seem to be a matter of discussion to his enraging thoughts, but Tom knew that if he treated the man that way, he would lose a potential client; specially for the fact that the man would be dead. He recomposed himself and stood up, extending his right arm until his hand touched the man's suspended hand, greeting him with a handshake and a friendly smile. "I've been living here since I was a child; it's just a regular place for me, but I'm glad that outsiders still enjoy our 'humble' archipelago. Welcome to Sabaody. I'm Tom, from Tom's Shop. Nice to meet you, sir Hiro." "So, since I'm a little short on time, should we go directly to business?" Before he could sit back to his chair and properly talk to his client, a sudden noise caught Tom's attention. In fact, not only him, but the entire bar went silent as the muffled sound of steps started to grow louder as someone or something approached the said place. Croconon stumbled into the little bar, having to practically crawl in through the door to fit. His head reached the top of the establishment, and he looked down towards Tom and Hiro. He had gone to Sabaody for a job, but unfortunately for him, the target had already been killed. A shame, but it happened sometimes. He had stumbled across this bar, which had managed to pique his interest. He looked around the vicinity, nodding approvingly at all the items that laid across the area. He turned his head back to Tom and Hiro, and yawned. "I need a ship. Where do I get one?" the monster asked, as if Tom could magically manifest a person who could give him a ship out of nowhere. The vision of the enormous man, or thing, entering the bar through such a small door with such a big body was almost comical, if not scary. Tom and an audience of drunks watched in silence the man's steps as he approached the table where both him and Hiro were located. It wasn't fear what he felt; Tom had already worked for a variety of races with a variety of deformities, but nothing near what he saw today. However, despite its bestial appearance, it seemed to have an human mind. As he started to speak, the words of the scaled-man entered Tom's ears, releasing him from the shock. "You're on the wrong place at the right time. I'm Tom, the shipwrighter." Tom said to Croconon. "I can get you the best of all ships you'll ever sail, but I'm in the middle of business right now." Tom had already released his hand from Hiro's, with which he picked up a pen and a notepad from one of his pockets. "I can get you an appointment at... hm... 7?" Hiro's eyes widened as he saw the massive reptilian man enter the bar. He was more intrigued by him than scared. When he made his way over, the teen smiled in delight and climbed onto his chair, wanting to get a better view of the creature's face. He was obscenely tall, after all. Hiro's smile took on an insane quality as he reached out for one of the creature's hands, running his fingers over the scaled flesh there "Wow! What are you?" He looked from the scales up to the reptilian eyes and his smile never faded "You look....terrifyingly whimsical in the most delicious of ways! I can tell you'd be a lot of fun to travel with. Do you need a companion? What am I saying, everyone needs a companion. I'll be joining you on your adventures, buddy! I'm Hiro by the by." He turned back to Tom, his eyes glittering happily at the shipwright "No need to schedule him an appointment. We'll be getting a ship together!" Croconon looked down at the young male that had proposed a companionship. "I'll pass," Croconon responded, snarling. His snarl resembled the sound of a chainsaw screeching against a chalkboard. "You're moving my 'appointment' up to right now. I'd like a ship. In around ten hours. Good for a days journey at most." the monster continued, staring down at Tom. "I'll pay you as much as needed." Tom tried to look to Croconon's face, barely being able to. He then faced his notepad and then Hiro. "Well... there's a gigantic lizard man that doesn't seem to be the most friendly guy and the small samurai-like and completely friendly guy that I could easily beat with my barehands. Which one should I prioritize?" Tom thought with himself. He started sweating like crazy from nervosism before he could answer anything. It was not only his life that was on line, but his reputation. "Well, I guess I can try to make both at the same time...? If they're not too big I can manage it... I believe... Err..." Tom was not sure, but it was his final propose. His voice was shaken. A single ship could take weeks or months depending on its size. It was the best option right now, at least to save his butt. Hiro gave Tom a dismissive wave "Hush a moment. We're talking." Well, he was trying to talk and the reptile wasn't really having it. But Hiro was a stubborn creature and once he set his mind to something, he would get it one way or another "Look here, scale-boy." Hiro's hair changed in slowly as he spoke, starting to flow majestically around his shoulders. Cuffs of raven fur sprouted around his neck and wrists, electricity permeating the air in his immediate vicinity, as though lightning were just about to strike. He lifted into the air, rising so that he was on eye level with the reptile "I've been finding my sea-faring journey to be extremely dull and I think travelling with you could be very, very interesting. Now you can decline, but I will hound you tirelessly until you give in. I will stalk you, I will stow away on your ship. I will enter your dreams and haunt your sleep until the end of your days! I'm coming with you and I won't take no for an answer. Plus this way, we can both save money on a ship by just going halfsies. Kay? Kay!" He dropped back down into his chair in a seated position, his hair returning to normal. He gave Tom a smile and spoke to him in the same chipper tone "So! One ship, please. To his specifications, of course." Croconon snarled, but had an idea. By splitting the payment with this...boy, it would save him some of his precious resources. "Alright then, boy." Croconon responded, scratching his back. He looked down at Tom, and smiled. A horrendous look that would send shivers down anyones spine. "I need a ship big enough to hold me. Also it's gotta be strong enough to support me too. I don't need some sturdy ship, just something that can last a week. I can swim the rest of the way." "Tsk tsk tsk." Hiro shook his head slightly "Yeah, we're going to need something sturdier than that. This should be obvious from my little floating act I did, but I'm a Devil Fruit user. I can't swim, so unless you want me riding on your back while you swim about we're gonna need a ship that'll last us a while big guy." Hiro tapped his chin in thought, going over some things in his head "Big enough to fit him, sturdy enough to last a while and carry his bulk. A little space to stash supplies and another space that I could feasibly fit in to lay down while being protected from the elements. Can you do that, Tommy boy?" "Hahaha, of course I can. That's childs play for me." Tom answered with a big smile and a thumbs up. If there was something that he was confident about was his ability to create, repair and work on ships; after all, he was a shipwrighter. One of the good ones. "And I do believe that I have the right thing for you two in my shop. It'll need some small tweaks, of course, but you'll be ready to go by tomorrow morning." He started walking in the direction of the door, looking for the two man behind him. "Shall we g- Ops." Without paying attention to his path, he bumped on someone that had just entered the shop. "Oh, my bad. I didn't see you standing there." A man dressed in a hooded, white cloak was something that stood out amongst a crowd with ease. The sun's radiance bounced off of it delicately causing him to receive numerous stares from those around him. He was waiting on his small crew to arrive with his ship and thus he decided to wait inside the closest bar so he could get rest until then. When entering the bar, he removed his hood, revealing his snow white hair. With his eyes closed as usual, he could feel himself receiving a couple glances from around the room but he payed them no mind. At that same time, he was bumped by a man a mere inch shorter than him. His eyes opened and then gazed into the mans and he remained quiet for several seconds. Most would conclude that a conflict was to come, but he simply replied, "No no, excuse me." "H-Hey look.." He heard a man at the back of the bar say while simultaneously hearing taps on his companions's body. "It's Gin.. Doesn't he owe you money ? Get it." He could only give a small smirk in response to the conversation afar as they called him by his alias and almost gave a full on grin when he heard the companion say. "No, its not problem. Hey..let's go it's about time I return home to the wife." Kairo took on the full grin as they went out the back door. Croconon noticed the man that had bumped into Tom. He snarled at the sight of him, before turning back towards Tom and Hiroshima. "My, er. Acquaintance will focus on the specifications. I have something to do." the beast said, turning away without waiting for a response. He went towards the hooded man, his shadow lumbering over him. "You're that Gin, fellow, aren't you?"